Landor creates visual identity for 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

NEW YORK (7 September 2010) – MyGoodDeed Inc., the respected 9/11 nonprofit that oversees private implementation of the federally-recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, asked Landor to create an identity that will ultimately become the symbol for annually remembering and observing 9/11 through charitable service. The identity is also intended to remind the nation that through service we can all be heroes on September 11th and every other day; and that through service we can remember and pay tribute to those who were lost.

Landor’s approach to the project included conducting interviews with 9/11 family members, national service organizations, nonprofits, and marketing professionals to understand the various perspectives and uncover potential communication areas. After exploring a variety of visual ways to express remembrance through service, as well as evaluating color as an additional means of expression, Landor selected a hand-drawn “remembrance circle” as the key visual element, illustrating the action a person takes when marking the date on a calendar. It highlights the idea of remembering the date in a way that signals personal involvement and action. To help bring this powerful idea to life, Landor developed an animated version of the logo for use on applications such as broadcast public service announcements and banner ads, visually depicting the action of someone encircling the date. The combination of respectful yet uplifting colors—a deep, dark blue and a candle-like yellow/orange—was inspired by the sense of light in the midst of darkness.

“It was essential to us to graphically capture both the idea of remembrance and taking positive action,” said 9/11 family member Jay S. Winuk, vice president and co-founder of MyGoodDeed, which commissioned Landor to develop the new identity for the 9/11 National Day of Service initiative.

Winuk lost his brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter and EMT, who died in the line of duty when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.

“In the end, this entire observance is about ensuring that we never forget those lost and injured, as well as the many who rose in service in response to the attacks, including those who are still defending this nation here and abroad,” said Winuk. “This was a very challenging assignment, and we are delighted that Landor was able to find just the right way to express that in this new identity.”

About the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

The 9/11 National Day of Service initiative is led by a coalition of organizations that includes MyGoodDeed, the Corporation for National and Community Service (Serve.gov), HandsOn Network (handsonnetwork.org), and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (national911memorial.org) in New York. These organizations are also now planning for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in 2011, with the goal of organizing the largest expression of charitable service in U.S. history. Grant funding and significant in-kind support for the 9/11 National Day of Service in 2010 is provided by GlaxoSmithKline, Target Corporation, the Corporation for National and Community Service, The Jim Fassel Foundation, The PIMCO Foundation, Clear Channel, Scholastic Inc. and Landor.

MyGoodDeed (www.911day.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit public benefit organization. Follow the 9/11 National Day of Service on Twitter at twitter.com/911dayofservice, and MyGoodDeed at twitter.com/MyGoodDeed.

About Landor

As a global leader in brand consulting and design, Landor helps clients create agile brands that thrive in today’s dynamic, disruptive marketplace. Our work enables top brands—from Barclays to BMW and Tide to Taj—to stand for something while never standing still.

Landor’s branding services include strategy and positioning, identity and design, brand architecture, innovation, naming and verbal branding, research and analytics, environments and experience, engagement and activation, and digital and social media.

Founded by Walter Landor in 1941, Landor pioneered many of the research, design, and consulting methods that are now standard in the branding industry. Today, Landor has 27 offices in 21 countries, working with a broad spectrum of world-famous brands. Clients include BMW, BP, Cathay Pacific Airways, Diageo, FedEx, GS Caltex, Haier, HSBC, Jin Jiang Group, LG Group, Microsoft, Midea, PepsiCo, and Uni-President.

Landor is a member of WPP, the world’s largest marketing and communications firm. For more information, please visit Landor.com and follow Landor on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.